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Construction begins, in 1964, to the southwest addition of the Engineering Building.

This Week in Campus History

In mid-June of 1960, Cupola Columns announced that applications were being accepted for a special "science institute" being held during the upcoming fall semester. The National Science Foundation provided a $16,850 grant to pay the tuition and travel expenses for 60 regional high school science and math teachers to take one of three Omaha University College of Adult Education courses. The courses, worth six semester hours of college credit each, focused on modern developments in the fields of biology, physical science and math. To be considered for this institute, applicants had to have a bachelor's degree and at least one year of teaching experience.

The UNO flags will be lowered to half-staff today, June 11, in honor of retiree Karen Soukup, who passed away June 2 at the age of 68 years. Soukup, an assistant professor of foreign languages, taught French at the university from 1967 to 1991.

Board of Regents to Meet June 14

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will meet Thursday, June 14, at Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St., in Lincoln. Committee and task force meetings begin at 8 a.m., and the board meeting will begin at 1 p.m.

In morning sessions, the Board of Regents will hear presentations on state funding, the operating budget, tuition recommendations and upcoming capital improvement projects.

The capital improvement update will provide information about:
- The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry, located on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) East Campus;
- Expansion and renovation of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation facility at UNO; and
- A real estate purchase and transfer to acquire Omaha Public Power District property adjacent to the southwest edge of the UNMC campus.

The update will also include a proposal to renovate and update the 85-year-old Whittier Building, near UNL, to operate a modern research laboratory, office and child care facility for use by UNL faculty, staff and students.

Also in morning sessions, the board will be briefed on the proposed university operating budget and tuition increase. President James B. Milliken will recommend the approval of a five percent tuition increase for 2007-08, plus the one percent tuition assessment necessary to provide matching funds for NU building renovations authorized by LB 605. If the proposed increase is enacted, a resident undergraduate student would pay $9.50 more per credit hour at UNL, $8.75 more per credit hour at UNO and $7.75 more at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK).

Last year, a similar tuition increase at NU fell below the increases at comparative institutions, and the total tuition rates at UNL, UNO and UNK remained considerably below the average of their campus peers. Also, Milliken pointed out, additional financial aid will be available next year from reallocated university funds through the Tuition Assistance Program, $1 million in appropriations from the Legislature and a significant increase in the Pell Grant for each eligible student.

"One of the keys for economic opportunity for Nebraskans is affordable access to a quality education, and that is our priority at the University of Nebraska," Milliken said. "We know that affordability is already a barrier to some, and we have set a goal of keeping tuition increases moderate and predictable, and increasing the amount of financial aid."

If approved, the university will have kept tuition increases for the past three consecutive years considerably lower than the significant increases during 2000-05. In the early part of the decade, dramatic decreases in state support - including a 4.7 percent reduction in 2003-04 - led to NU budget cuts and four years of steep increases in tuition.

"The Board of Regents, the chancellors and I pledged to keep tuition increases moderate and predictable - provided we received adequate state support," Milliken said. "Because of just such support from the Legislature and the governor, we are now in a position to do that again this year."

Under the biennial budget recommended by the Appropriations Committee and signed into law by the governor, state funding for the university will increase by four percent in 2007-08, and 4.1 percent in 2008-09. This will address some, but not all, of the university's mandatory expenses for next year, such as salaries, utilities and maintaining our buildings, Milliken said. Even with the proposed increase in tuition, the university will be required to reallocate funds to meet these expenses.

Highlights of the 1 p.m. afternoon board meeting will include:- Approval for a new bachelor of science in information assurance at UNO, a new interdisciplinary undergraduate major that addresses this rapidly expanding science that deals with problems in the understanding of the design, development, implementation and life cycle support of secure information systems.

- Approval for a new master of laws (LL.M.) with a focus in Space and Telecommunications Law in the College of Law at UNL. No American law school offers an LL.M. degree in either space law or telecommunications, so this degree should be in high demand and provide UNL the opportunity to become the premier American program in this area.

- Approval to name the new residence hall at UNK the William R. Nester Hall, in honor of Nester, former UNK Chancellor and Kearney State College President.

- Approval to name the new Multicultural Center at UNL the John D. "Jackie" Gaughan Multicultural Center, recognizing the patriarch of the Gaughan family for the family's generous support for construction of the center.

- Approval of a program contract for UNMC - in cooperation with the University of Wyoming - to support the professional training of dental students from Wyoming.

Parking Lot Maintenance Schedule Reminder

UNO parking lots will undergo regularly scheduled maintenance this month. Due to unpredictable weather conditions, the schedule is subject to change without notice, and lots will be closed as needed.

For more information, contact Walt Burr at 554.2500 or Campus Security at 554.2648.

Summer Motorcycle Parking Notice

Additional seasonal motorcycle parking is available for faculty, staff and students through Aug. 24. Motorcycles may be parked at the following locations at the Dodge and Pacific locations:
- Parking structure (stop by Campus Security, 100 Eppley Administration Building, for details);
- Northwest corner of Lot A (north of Kayser Hall);
- Northwest corner of Lot M (south of Criss Library); and
- Southwest corner of Lot 2 (north of The University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute).

For more information, contact Campus Security at 554.2648.

Criss Library Renovation Update

Hawkins Construction has closed the main (first) floor of Criss Library. Currently, the construction crew is breaking up the first floor concrete and removing it from the building. Patrons are reminded that noise is present in the library at this time, and that up-to-date renovation notices can be found on the library's electronic signage, located by the entryway.

For more information, contact the library's administrative office at 554.2640.

Fidelity Representative Campus Visits Slated

Fidelity representative Chad Anderson will be in Omaha for individual counseling sessions June 28, July 26 and Aug. 9.

Employees can call 1.800.642.7131 to make an appointment with Anderson.

Maverick Watch

There are no Maverick home games this week. To catch up on the latest statistics or keep tabs on your favorite team on the road, visit the Web at http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/.